The Thomas Jefferson Health District Awarded National Accreditation by the Public Health Accreditation Board8/11/2015

The Thomas Jefferson Health District (TJHD)* announced today that it has achieved national accreditation through the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB). The national accreditation program works to improve and protect the health of the public by advancing the quality and performance of the nation’s Tribal, state, local and territorial public health departments. Staff at TJHD began working towards national accreditation standards in 2011, and as of Friday, August 7, 2015, is the second accredited health district in Virginia.

“We are honored to be recognized for achieving national standards that foster effectiveness and promote continuous quality improvement,” said Dr. Denise Bonds, TJHD Health Director. “The accreditation process helps ensure that our health department’s programs and services are as responsive as possible to our community’s needs. With accreditation, we are able to demonstrate increased accountability and credibility to the public, funders, elected officials and partner organizations with which we work.”

The national accreditation program, jointly supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, sets standards against which the nation’s more than 3,000 governmental public health departments can continuously improve the quality of their services and performance. To receive accreditation, a health department must undergo a rigorous, multi-faceted, peer-reviewed assessment process to ensure it meets or exceeds a set of quality standards and measures.

“Whenever you see our seal of accreditation, you will know that our health department has been rigorously examined and meets or exceeds national standards that promote continuous quality improvement for public health,” Dr. Bonds said. “We are thankful and grateful for the strong support of our local government officials and many community partners, as well as our colleagues at the Virginia Department of Health.”

For more information about accreditation, visit www.phaboard.org. For more information about the TJHD health department’s programs and services, visit www.tjhd.org or call (434) 972-6200.

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TJHD, or Virginia's Planning District Ten, is comprised of the City of Charlottesville, and Albemarle, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa, and Nelson Counties.